Community Health Clinics Awarded Funds

HOUSTON– Recently, Congressman Al Green called representatives from South Central Care Community Health Center, the Harris County Hospital District, and the Asian American Health Coalition of the Greater Houston Area to congratulate them on being awarded grants to assist Texans in enrolling in the new Health Insurance Marketplaces and receive quality health care services.

“These grants are important investments not only in our community health clinics but in the health and vitality of our community,” Congressman Al Green said. “I trust that our community health clinics will use these grants wisely and further expand access to health care in Houston.”

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $58 million in grants to 1,157 health clinics across the country working to enroll uninsured Americans in the new health insurance coverage options made available by the Affordable Care Act. With these funds, health clinics can expand their enrollment assistance efforts as more Americans enroll in affordable health insurance coverage.

These awards will allow community health clinics to expand the hours of existing outreach and enrollment assistance workers, as well as hire new or temporary workers. The South Central Houston Community Health Center received $165,755 in the fiscal year for 2013 and $92,935 in 2014; the Harris County Hospital District received $154,326 in the fiscal year for 2013 and $85,662 in 2014; the Asian American Health Coalition of the Greater Houston Area received $90,867 in the fiscal year for 2013 and $45,279 in 2014.

Rep. Al Green joined Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Reps. Gene Green and Sheila Jackson Lee, as well as enrollees in the Health Insurance Marketplaces at the Magnolia Multi-Service Center for a discussion and press conference on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. “The Affordable Care Act is working. It’s working for senior citizens by closing the doughnut hole, which requires them to pay more for pharmaceuticals, it’s working for persons under 26 years of age by allowing them to stay on their parents’ insurance policies, and it’s working for young people with preexisting conditions by allowing them to get insurance coverage.” “Next year, it will work even better when persons young and old with preexisting conditions will have the opportunity to get insurance coverage.”